Haunted by the past...........
Every time I run across this little quilt top I remember the June of 1991. A friend called and said let's go to the Quilt Surface Design Symposium in Columbus OH. A friend of ours lived there and offered a place for us to stay. If you are unfamiliar with QSDS you can look it up online. The teachers were all famous quilters in one way or another and the classes are based on art and design. I chose a teacher whose work I admired. We were to draw many original blocks and then choose our best one and repeat it in our art piece. On the 5th day of class all I had left to do was to fill in the 4 rectangles that go across the center. I tried many combinations and the teacher kept saying no that isn't quite right try something else. After trying 6 or 7 things the teacher left the building for something and the whole class ganged up on me and said everything that I tried worked well and they couldn't see what the teacher's problem with it was. I went ahead and sewed in the last pieces I tried.
This is a case of trying to please someone else instead of going with my gut feeling and finishing it as mine, not hers. I have never been able to finish it because of the memory of it "not being quite right". I have enough of the top and bottom border fabric to use it for side borders too and I think narrow ones would look good. Maybe I'll finish it, maybe I won't.
My pop-up shop is open until noon EST Monday. I always take more detail photos of the quilts and tops for the shop so if you are interested in seeing more close-ups, check it out. After Monday noon it is gone forever.
22 comments:
I know just exactly how you feel about this piece!!! I have had similar experiences too. I say finish it and let it go!!! Once it is out of the UFO pile... it will be banished from memory forever!!!
Your post struck a chord with me. Thank you for sharing.
Thank you for this post. There are a lot of takeaways from it. I'm curious who the teacher was? You are kind to be discreet. I suspect that maybe she was intimidated by your talent. I've heard of the QSDS. I just went and looked at the list of teachers this year. Of the names I recognize, I'd say we've come along way since 1991. I've wanted to attend but haven't. Be nice to see you listed as a teacher.
Rondi
rondiquilts@yahoo.com
Your story reminded me of when I took the "My First Quilt Class." Unfortunately or fortunately, the class bought their fabric before the class. On the first night of the class the teacher walked us around the quilt store and pointed to various samples and explained about dark borders finishing the quilt, etc. Yes, you guessed it, I'd picked a light border. I was very happy with my choice because it was a larger print that wouldn't have shown up in the blocks and it really pulled the middle of the quilt together. There may be standards or normals or general rules of thumb but any type of art is individual and we should go with our gut. Maybe we'll regret it and maybe it will be our favorite work of art (until we make the next one)...
Jus because of the memory of the the piece I would have thrown it out a long time ago! LOL! Lesson learned, experienced had, move on. I've trashed a few projects in my life. The first was a navy wool blazer that I spent a lot of time on. I hated but thought I should keep it because of the time and money spent. My Mom convinced me to toss it and it was wonderful! It was very freeing. Since then I don't hang on to things with bad vibes.
Thank you for sharing this story. I guess your options were not the options that the instructor would have made. That's just fine because everyone has different tastes and experiences to pull from. One take away is that you auditioned several options and likely learned more from that than anything.
For what it's worth, I think that this class piece is stunning. If anyone else made that block, their piece would be totally different.
I'm glad to be able to read your stories - I surely have learned from them.
I may have taken a class from the same teacher. It left a sour taste in my class, even though I like her patterns, she was not a great teacher. Classes are for trying new things, not doing things their way!
The construction is sort of eye-jarring, that is hard for me to say because usually your instincts are spot on.
I remember you telling this story a few years back but not showing the work so I know who you're talking about. I've taken a number of classes from the same teacher and had a similar experience in more than a couple of them. (Naming the person in your case is irrelevant because likely we all have similar experiences!) By the end of the class, I'm stuck with an almost finished piece that I don't love but it has passed inspection. Or I do love it but it failed inspection so I'm not sure of its worthiness any more. Sigh.
I've decided that pieces made in a class where there has been a serious amount of influence by the instructor -- either by strict setting of parameters for the work or subsequent critique -- is not something I *need* to make into a finished piece. I now call them "class samples."
I have found it is better for me to use the classroom experience to influence (or not) my future work. I can chop up the class samples, maybe combine with other fabric and make something utilitarian out of them (e.g. cushions, small blankets to donate, even stuffing for dog beds) or just give them away rather than make them part of my creative practice.
If you love it and believe it should be part of your body of work, then finish it. Otherwise, might be better to let it go somehow!
At this point, the take away for me would be this: "how NOT to teach a quilt class."
At this point in your life/career, I would send this piece to the future dog bed bin and not look back.
You have your memories of the experience of spending time with your friend at the event - you don't need the physical reminder.
Thanks for sharing! We can relate! I took a hand-applique class years ago and had a "directional" problem - surprise, surprise - LOL! When I asked the teacher about it - she said - "Oh, you are left-handed! I cannot help you." Terrific! I had been there before. I told her, "Never mind, I'll figure it out myself. Show me how you do your colors." At least I got something out of it - and I haven't taken a class since - ;))
Wanda, this is one of those quilts that keeps my eye looking at it. It is really interesting. Don't know what the teacher wanted, maybe something boring??!! Please finish it. Maybe grey side borders and it will be a 'modern' quilt? I'm no expert, but this is worth finishing!
On my 60th birthday, I treated myself and traveled to a famous place for quilt teachers and painters. I took a class from someone whose book and video I owned. At first, we were told to sew random pieces and put them on the wall. And sew more. And put them on. Then told to put it together. For the life of me, I could not figure out what she was looking for. She told me to take it down and do it again. Seven times. Then she came up to me, put her hand on my shoulder and asked me if I was one of those special students. I was pretty mortified and stumbled something about teaching special ed kids among all the others. It ruined the experience for me.
Interesting post and comments today.
JJM
Oh blooming prima donna teachers! One teacher, years ago told me that my tacking stitches were terrible. They were identical to her example and I had been watching her intently. I'd been hand sewing for a long time even though I was young. My friend was told hers was perfect and I would do well to study them. But I couldn't copy them because they were all over the place and nothing like the teacher's piece! So it does knock you for six and you either give up - or strive for perfection so much that those points drive me crazy when they don't match up and I am trying to ignore those bits where they are such a smidgeon off, nobody else notices - but I do and yes - back to blooming prima donna teachers! Thank goodness I've found so much nicer people in the quilting world that are full of encouragement!
In one class I was told my colors WOULD NOT work -- that the color wouldn't show up -- several times. finally I said that I liked them and if they didn't work she could say "I told you so" at the end. She didn't say it.
It still made me hesitant to pick colors after that.
Very interesting post and comments. I appreciate your lesson of designing for your pleasure, not the teacher's. Talented and well known quilters don't always make the best teachers. It's a whole other skill that involves constructive, but kind criticism, help where needed, and most importantly, encouragement. We have a woman in our community thAt is possibly the chief of quilt police. She will happily tell you what is wrong with your quilt, without you even asking...lol. I always say that you're not telling me anything I don't already know, and laugh it off. But, unfortunately I have seen some new quilters lose all confidence and give up. Anyway, thanks for your post, it's given me something to ponder.
I am quite irked right now. There is no wrong or right to art! And I guarantee you there are people (besides just me) out there who like this. So much to study. I like the ombre effect you chose for the triangles. I love the intrusion of the curved triangle into the orderly rows of ombre triangles and the color choices work wonderfully together! It's just really interesting to me. I hope you don't throw it out, someone will want it.
Wow. I've never taken a class and was thinking maybe I've been missing out. I don't know that I'd be able to hold my tongue in the class with some of the experiences you and the commenters have had. At least not now - advantage of age is not holding your opinions close all the time :-)
@ Left-Handed Quilter, or any left-handers wanting to expand their hand stitching capability - it's not directly quilt related, there's a great book for left handed people who want to learn embroidery. It's called The Left-Handed Embroiderer's Companion by Yvette Stanton. I have absolutely no connection to the book, other than having bought a copy, just in case. I think all her books have instructions for left-handers.
Different people work in different ways. When I write something (not my blog but something that matters - like lessons), I tend to re-read and tweak over and over again. Every time I read it, I can see something else I can make just a little bit better. Eventually I have to stop because I don't have time to tweak any more. When I quilt, I tend to go with my gut and once something is committed to fabric, I leave it there. I have seen other quilters who tweak their quilts like I do my writing. They keep at it until it is exactly the way they want it to be. I can see value in that, but I prefer my organic way of quilting. I guess as a teacher, she wanted to teach you her way of making it.
I had a quilt that had a bad memory attached to it. I gave it away after I was finished with it.
I've begun to go with my gut feeling on most things, if something's not doing it for me then it's given away, sold at Guild sale day or binned, Not a good experience for you Wanda with the particular teacher you had.
I am sorry you had such a bad experience. This is one reason why I don't take classes. I don't want my work to look like someone else's work. You could finish it and give it as a baby quilt. At least something good could come from a bad experience.
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